The Mi Pro Bites team wins the 5th Edition of the UB-Danone Chair Innovation Challenge Competition with a high-protein plant-based snack
On 30 April 2026, the final of the 5th Edition of the Innovation Challenge Competition of the UB-Danone Chair for Healthy and Sustainable Nutrition took place in the Sala de Graus of the Gramenet Building at the Campus de l’Alimentació de Torribera. Four multidisciplinary teams of undergraduate students presented their proposals before a panel of judges comprising representatives from Danone and food sector institutions.
The session was attended by the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia; the Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Transfer, Mercè Segarra Rubí; Dr M. Carmen Vidal Carou, Director of the UB-Danone Chair and Rector’s Delegate for the Direction of the Torribera Food Campus; Antonio Torres, Head of Nutrition and Sustainability at Danone; and Maria Fernanda Mondragón, Health & Nutrition Performance Global Manager and Sustainability at Danone.
Multidisciplinary teams formed from scratch
A defining feature of the competition is its commitment to interdisciplinarity. The four participating teams were constituted specifically for this challenge, drawing students from three degree programmes at the Torribera Food Campus: Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Food Science and Technology, and the degree in Culinary Sciences and Gastronomy (CETT-UB). Following an initial visit to Danone’s facilities and ongoing mentoring from company representatives, each team developed a complete innovation proposal encompassing product concept, prototype, packaging, labelling, target segmentation and business potential.
Throughout the process, StartUB! supported the teams across three sessions covering ideation, value proposition definition and pitch preparation, all structured around the Innovation Toolkit methodology, StartUB!’s own framework for guiding innovation and product ideation processes. This support helped teams develop both their creative and strategic thinking, as well as the communication skills needed for the final pitch presentation.
The four proposals
Each team worked on one of the categories proposed by Danone:
Plant-Based Team: Glazy Pops Danone mentor: Paloma Saldaña, Project Engineer. Members: Elisenda Orteu (CCiG), Álvaro Murillo (NHiD), Jiayu Jin (CTA), Lara Martínez Pettina (CTA) and Valeria Gozalo (CTA)
Kids Team: Dano-Cubs Danone mentor: Arnau Bardera, Head of Research and Innovation. Members: Aina Fite Figuera (CTA), Estel Anadón (CCiG), Mariola Revert Campos (CCiG), Aina Bosch Huerta (NHiD) and Anna Castellví (CTA)
Protein Team: Mi Pro Bites (winning team) Danone mentor: Ariadna Jorda, Product Manager in R&D. Members: Ona Andreu Moraté (CCiG), Alberto Chacón Moroto (CCiG), Irene Tenàs Barba (NHiD), Paula Gómez Aguilar (CTA) and Nora Argany Herrera (NHiD)
Probiotics Team: Danonino Dipidoo Danone mentor: Monica Rams, Ferments Team Leader in R&D. Members: Océane Kesteloot (CCiG), Pau Estévez (CCiG), Iroia Hernanz (NHiD), Guillem Verdaguer (CTA) and Ainhoa Pelicano (CTA)
The winning product: Mi Pro Bites
The Protein category team was declared the winner. Their proposal, Mi Pro Bites, is a creamy high-protein plant-based snack developed from a product within the Danone range. The panel particularly praised the technical robustness of the proposal and the coherence between the product and its defined target audience. The five-person team received a prize of 3,000 €.
Congratulations to Ona Andreu Moraté, Alberto Chacón Moroto, Irene Tenàs Barba, Paula Gómez Aguilar and Nora Argany Herrera, and to their mentor Ariadna Jorda.
About the UB-Danone Chair for Healthy and Sustainable Nutrition
The UB-Danone Chair is a collaborative space between the University of Barcelona and Danone to promote research, training and innovation in the field of healthy and sustainable nutrition. The Innovation Challenge Competition is one of its flagship activities, aimed at students at the Torribera Food Campus.